‘Govts formed amid lapses unconstitutional’: Akhilesh attacks EC over internal dissent
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission of India following reports of internal dissent among commissioners. He argued that governments formed during periods of alleged institutional bias are unconstitutional.
Why it matters
The integrity of the Election Commission is central to Indian democracy; public questioning of its neutrality by major political figures signals significant institutional friction.
NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying governments formed during a period when the poll panel was not acting impartially were “unconstitutional”.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav referred to a report that said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and electoral roll procedures.Yadav said the Election Commission was regarded as an impartial institution and was expected to strengthen democracy. He questioned “on whose behalf” the poll panel was functioning if its own members were raising objections to its decisions.“This is dangerous for our democracy.
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